The present invention is directed to a hollow clutch separator plate assembly having a design to permit cooling/lubricating oil to pass radially therethrough.
Multi-disc assemblies for use with clutch assemblies in automatic transmissions are well known in the art. Various types of arrangements and constructions have been utilized in order to provide paths for the cooling/lubricating oil to flow therethrough to prevent damage to the assembly. One such type of disc assembly with a grooved cooling layer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,435, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
According to the present invention, the separator plate assembly has a pair of spaced-apart separator plate members which are separated by a plurality of wire forms. The wire forms are spaced-apart and arranged to permit the lubricating oil to flow in a generally radial direction in the spaces defined by adjacent wire forms and the two thin separator plate members. The separator plate members are bonded to the wire forms, preferably by welding, such as by a capacitor discharge welding process.